Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Quick Bathroom Refresh

I've been antsy to do something to our Master Bathroom since, forever. Mr. Fix-It has toyed with the idea of a complete overhaul, but I hesitated because I'm not convinced we'll get much of a return on investment. The reality is that a 2BR/2BA condo in Chicago can only resell for so much. Even with a fancy pants new bathroom, there are limits.

So, in an effort to refresh things, I decided it was time to paint.

I had the day off work last Friday, so I swung by Home Depot first thing in the morning. Knowing Mr. Fix-It isn't a huge fan of the painting process, I was determined to do every last bit myself. This means getting the supplies out of storage, properly prepping the bathroom, fully reassembling everything, and clean-up. I'll keep it real - I usually rope him into these activities.

The tile in our bathroom is pretty lame, but fortunately neutral. The walls were a dull yellow, which made everything feel "blah".

Still craving some gray in my life, I opted for Martha Stewart Living "Concrete Gray MSL266". I was originally thinking I'd go for Benjamin Moore's "Moonshine", but wanted something richer. I schlepped a gallon paint can 2 blocks home. That skinny metal holder really starts to hurt!

Being a good little painter, I made sure to remove all fixtures. NOTE TO ALL PEOPLE: it's way easier to uncrew an outlet cover than it is to paint around it. I learned that one a few years ago when we painted the entire condo floor to ceiling.

Look at me! So thorough. Next was the medicine cabinet.

If I hadn't seen Mr. Fix-It do this before, I probably would have painted aroud it. However, he had to do some electrical work a while ago, so I knew it could be pretty easily removed. Two screws out and we were good!

Next were the towel hooks. Again, just the removal of some simple screws.

Then, just to make sure I was really doing everything right, I sanded a few areas that seemed a little bumpy. And I wiped down all the floor molding so I didn't paint any dust into the walls.

I taped a few areas with blue painter's tape. I'm not a big taper, though, I prefer to keep my hand as steady as possible. Sometimes it works, sometimes I'm not so lucky. I always have a damp paper towel on hand to remedy mistakes.

I blasted some music, and got crackin' on painting. The only part that was iffy was when I placed a ladder in the bathtub to reach the far corners of the wall. The ladder was too wide and kept wobbling. I had visions of a concussion and broken bones, but alas, I pulled it off.

Here's a little before and after:

What do you think? Mr. Fix-It said it makes the ceilings look higher. I agree, and I just love the color in general. For a 4 hour time investment, I'll take it!

Looks great, definitely a good investment. I'm thinking of a simiar color for our bathroom. We cant afford a full bathroom reno right now, but I think the switch from flower walllpaper to gray paint will be a huge improvement.

It looks great!! I love the color, and you were so thorough!! It definitely makes your bathroom look cleaner and more open. Also...did I spot a Shamwow in one of your pictures? haha I thought I was the only one who actually has one of those!

Huge improvement! Paint is such a miracle maker. We are going to the Home Depot tonight for some new paint for the kitchen. Can't afford new cabinets or countertops yet so removing the old wallpaper border and a new, fresh paint color will do for now! ~Sunhat